


The Scale's Balance

by fullmetalpotterhead



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien is homeschooled, Angst, Chat Noire - Freeform, Dark, Death penalty, F/M, Gabriel and Maria miraculous users, Gabriel tries to be a good dad but fails miserably, I fuck up everyone, PSTD, don't worry the babies aren't the ones who die, i guess, pointless love squaring shinanegins, switches between Marinette and Adrien as the main and Gabriel and Maria as the main, villian Ladybug and Chat Noir
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-05-30 09:34:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6418234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullmetalpotterhead/pseuds/fullmetalpotterhead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who decides who should be forgiven and who should be punished? And who punishes the executioner?</p><p> </p><p>Shout out to my wonder internet mom Serenity for letting me use her OC!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there guys! So I'm going to be doing two fics at the same time but I wanted to keep a regular update schedule so I'm going to be alternating fics each week. This one will be more plotty and dark. The one I'll start posting next week is my domestic fluff Adrienette one. Hope you enjoy.

Tuesday was never a pleasant day. In fact, it was a horrible day for a spring day. The streets of Paris were clean and busy as always, giving the springtime its ever romantic feel. However, in one of the buses sat the victim of the unpleasant Tuesday feeling. She was a young woman around twenty years of age. Her brown hair was neatly braided and pinned back to bring light into her bright blue eyes. She wore a simple black dress with a blazer, some nylons, and black leather flats. 

She frowned a bit as she looked at the time on her phone. She was going to be late...again. It was a bad habit of hers to be late, which had to do with her rather strange predicament that not many of her coworkers seemed to fully grasp. Being late meant less time she had to deal with Gabriel Agreste, whom she hoped to avoid by any means necessary. 

Now, why would she want to avoid him? Many in the company believed she and the man had great chemistry-which was not a _complete _lie. Still, she found him irritatingly cold and, for back of a better word, salty. She would rather have Anna Wintour tell her she was a no talent hack than deal with him. But for all she disliked the man, she did have to admit she respected him.__

__Begrudgingly._ _

__And he extend the same respect, hearing out her opinions whenever voiced them... Not that she gave him much of an option. Their shouting matches were legendary in the fashion house. The usual calm and controlled Gabriel Agreste had a habit of crumbling when he was around her- something her coworkers never ceased to be amused by. The personality change when they were together was so drastic, the coworkers who had once spent hours ranting about their cruel boss with her had now thrown her to the wolves so to speak. Yes, the terrible truth of the matter was quite simple._ _

__The entire fashion house shipped it._ _

__There were bets on when they would get together. Once, they'd locked the would-be couple in a supply closet for an entire hour before Adrien had come and found the pair. It seemed the general consensus that their boss would be less of asshole if he got laid._ _

__She wasn't exactly convinced, but no one really seemed to care what the two involved in the whole shipping business seemed to think about it._ _

__Now Maria Rosario Balboa was headed to the Agreste Fashion House to see the finished product on a flapper dress that another group had been assigned, much to her distain. Knowing the designers, they probably used fringe instead of beading it. She frowned as she realized she was at her stop and cutting it extremely close. As much as she didn't want the extra Gabriel-time being early would get her, being late too frequently led to him 'checking up on her'. Which was basically code for 'annoying her every ten minutes'. It was a fine line she walked, that much was certain. (Besides, despite her boss, she really did enjoy her work). Maria walked off the bus and looked at the giant building before sighing and entering._ _

__"Bonjour, Mademoiselle Maria!" The security guard tipped his head to her._ _

__"Bonjour, Henri. How are you this fine morning?"_ _

__"I'm wonderful as always, and you're cutting it close as always."_ _

__"Well, you know me. It's not fun if it's not a little dangerous, right?"_ _

__"Maria." Adrien walked briskly over, a concerned look on his polite face._ _

__Uh oh. While it was pretty typical for Adrien to come to the Fashion House while he worked on his studies, it was universally understood that unless it was an emergency, the boss' kid sat and studied. If _Adrien_ was the one coming to get her, it had to be bad. _ _

__"What?" She did her best to keep her voice even, preparing for the worst._ _

__"They need help. The dress... It's... Well..."_ _

__Maria sighed at the shy boy's worried tone. "Let's go see the damage."_ _

__She followed Adrien to the workroom where Ephonine, François, and Leonard were working, stopping dead when she caught sight of the damage. There was no amount of quick fix tricks that could repair _this_. _ _

__"What is going on here?" And there stood death himself in the form of a thoroughly pissed off Gabriel Agreste. "And why is my son involved?"_ _

__"Sorry, father. They needed a runner and-" Adrien sunk when he spoke and Maria felt bad for the kid whenever she saw it. His eyes trained carefully to the ground in front of his father, head bowed slightly. It was all a very clear display of submission yet Gabriel _still_ had the nerve to cut his son off. Maria could feel herself getting riled up. _ _

__"If you cannot focus on your studies here, perhaps it would be best for you to continue at home." Gabriel tone was clipped, professional; nothing that should be directed towards a _child_. Maria shifted into battle stance, readying herself to face off against her heartless boss. _ _

__"We all know Adrien is way ahead of his age group in his studies."_ _

__"If one only holds themself to a standard of mediocrity, they will never get ahead in life." The room stilled as they watched Gabriel turn to face Maria, a strange glint in his eyes._ _

__"Adrien didn't do anything wrong, why don't you make yourself useful and focus on the dress." The dress in question was missing several layers of fringe, with the hems messy and the color completely opposite of what had been asked. Maria felt a slight tug of satisfaction as Gabriel blanched at the sight._ _

__"How long did you take to make this dress?" He turned his cold gaze on the other three._ _

__"Three weeks sir..." François nervously swallowed. Honestly, the man was only human. Maria didn't understand why they were all so afraid of him._ _

__"Miss Balboa, have it redone in two." When he turned his gaze back towards her, it was not the venomous glint she knew from their arguments, but a look she knew equally well from the man. Respect._ _

__"Understood." For all that they hated each other-and Maria _did_ hate him, despite what everyone said- their professional relationship thrived on the deep rooted respect each had for the other's work. _ _

__With a nod, Gabriel turned to leave the room. Pausing briefly in front of Adrien, he pursed his lips before changing his mind and, with a clearing shake of his head, left._ _

__"I need coffee..." Maria let out a sigh as soon as he was out of the room. She might not be afraid of the man, but it would still be stupid to show weakness in front of him._ _

__"Maria..." Leonard had a clearly guilty look plastered across his face._ _

__"It's fine. This isn't the worst project the slave driver has given me."_ _

__"It sure is a strange way to flirt." Ephonine commented, earning an exasperated huff from Maria._ _

__"I'm not having this argument with you again."_ _

__Ephonine gave her a wicked grin and a wink before looking back towards the train wreck of a dress. Her face fell, guilt creeping onto her features._ _

__"I am sorry you have to fix our screw up though."_ _

__"You can make it up to me by bringing me lunch in a few hours." Maria headed out the room, freezing in the doorway. "You coming, short-stack?"_ _

__Adrien shot her one of his polite smiles; posture way to proper for a fifteen year old. "I wouldn't want to interrupt your work."_ _

__"You're the quietest kid I've ever met, don't worry about it. Besides, Aaron will be bothering me anyways, you can distract him for me." Maria gave him a wink, smiling at the way the boy relaxed slightly at the prospect of talking to her older brother._ _

__"I think I will take you up on your offer then, thank you." Adrien grabbed his bag and followed a respectful distance behind her as they headed to her workspace._ _

__Adrien, giving her another thank you, made himself comfortable in the corner, leaving Maria with her work. Turning towards her desk, the woman grinned. Her only other major project, a pantsuit, sat already finished in the corner so she could devote all her energies to the new one. _And_ this dress was supposed to pair with her suit- a fun, roaring twenties theme between the two of them. _ _

__Maria quickly lost herself in her work, stopping only when Ephonine brought in sandwiches for her and Adrien at noon._ _

__While he ate, Adrien turned his attention towards his cell phone, tapping away on it as if it held the secrets of the universe within its plastic casing._ _

__"Marinette?" She guessed, grinning as the usually composed and proper boy turned bright red._ _

__"Y-Yeah... It's their lunch break too."_ _

__Maria shook her head, sighing before she took another bite of her sandwich. Despite never going to public school or any events he could meet people his own age, Adrien had managed to meet Marinette about a year back and the two had been ridiculously close ever since. Even around her and Aaron, Adrien still maintained some facade of his Perfect image. With Marinette, he actually looked like a real kid for once. Why they didn't just date already was beyond her._ _

__Oh god, she was starting to sound like her coworkers now._ _

__Lunch ended and they both went back to their work. True to form, Aaron did come waltzing in sometime later to pester his sister. Adrien quickly and respectfully intercepted him, starting his usual course of polite small talk while Maria continued working._ _

__At four-thirty on the dot, Adrien's attention zeroed in on his phone, only half keeping up conversation with Aaron. Both the siblings knew what the boy was waiting for. Confirmation as to whether or not Marinette would be able to see him today._ _

__Judging by the way his face fell a few minutes later, they guessed not._ _

__Still, they chatted amiably, Maria fazing in and out of conversation. After an hour, Aaron left them to their work and Adrien turned back to his textbooks. Maria liked to think the three of them had a nice atmosphere between them. And based on what she knew of Adrien's home circumstances, she figured he appreciated the welcoming family. Admittedly, she'd begun to think of the boy as one of her younger brothers. He was shier, for sure, but she knew he'd be a perfect fit. One day, she'd have to introduce him to her extended family._ _

__

__The workday ended and the pair made their way to the common area. Maria would still have to do more tweaking with the design, but she was eager to show Ephonine her progress. And if she was lucky, she could talk to Ephonine and get the hell out of there before Gabriel came out to get Adrien and inevitably picked a fight with her._ _

__The common area was a nice place, albeit simple. Gabriel didn't really approve of his employees 'slacking off to pointlessly socialize' so the room was sparsely furnished. Just a few tables and a TV. Much to her boss' dismay, people still used it during their breaks or at odd times of the day._ _

__Giving Adrien a quick shoulder squeeze and a goodbye, Maria headed to the table where Ephonine sat, her eyes focused on the news reporter on screen._ _

__"-police are still investigating why this mysterious woman left the card and who she is, but in the meantime, they have instituted safety measures for Mr. Martian."_ _

__"The news that interesting tonight?" Maria pulled out a chair next to her friend, catching her attention._ _

__"That's Damien Martain. There were some charges of murder against him, but he was released today."_ _

__"Who's the mysterious woman they were talking about then?"_ _

__"No one knows. She's _mysterious_." Ephonine teased. _ _

__"You know what I meant."_ _

__"It'd be easier just to show you." Whipping out her phone, Ephonine did a quick search before pulling up a video. On the screen was a black haired girl in pigtails and a cat themed suit, vaulting over roofs to flee the people below. The video jostled as the person filming ran over to the man Maria recognized as Mr. Martin._ _

__"What did she hand you?" The voice behind the camera asked, clearly shocked about whatever had transpired before he'd had the foresight to start filming._ _

__Damien's face screwed up in confusion. "What the hell kind of joke is this?"_ _

__"Let me see." The camera shifted as the cameraman switched hands to take the card. On the front was a green pawprint, the number five written in the middle. Opening the card, the voice behind the camera spoke out loud._ _

__"'Damien Martin. The courts may have ruled you innocent, but I am not convinced. You have five hours to prove your innocence to _me_ before I punish you. Signed Chat Noire'." The note switched back to its original recipient. "Is this some kind of prank?"_ _

__"I don't know, but if some crazy woman in a catsuit wants to come pick a fight with me, I'm down."_ _

__"Maybe we should call the police."_ _

__Damien gave the cameraman a disgusted look. "No way am I going to-" the video ended abruptly._ _

__"A few people got pictures of her too, look." With another search of her phone, Ephonine revealed a few blurry pictures. "Apparently, sightings started a month ago. She's done a few things around the city. Saved a couple old ladies from being mugged. That sort of thing."_ _

__"How do you know all this already?"_ _

__"The news has been talking about it for the past hour. _And_ this girl online already has all the details collected on her tumblr."_ _

__"So what's up with this mysterious woman then?"_ _

__Ephonine shrugged. "We'll just have to wait and see I guess."_ _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Maria went through a normal day of work, hating her boss, mothering his son, and having an interesting talk with her friend Ephonine about the antics of the mystery woman Chat Noire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to update on Thursday but I won't have time and I have time now so....This chapter is Marinette's perspective (next one too)! And so the plot begins. This is really time skippy but ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Marinette had always liked helping in the bakery. She wasn't always the best at it- sometimes she'd drop pastries or knock into displays- but most of the regulars were used to it by now. 

"Good morning!" Maria came in, heading straight for the counter as she greeted Marinette. 

"Hey! You brought someone with you today?" Marinette nodded at the hesitant boy trailing behind Maria like a lost puppy. 

Maria grinned, patting him on the back and subsequently pushing him towards Marinette. "Apparently, his father doesn't let him eat sweets. I figured we could change that."

The blond boy smiled at her, a forced, uncomfortable kind of smile. It was beautiful, but so painfully awkward Marinette found her heart lurch at how pitiful he seemed. 

"I'm Marinette." She stuck out her hand in greeting and he seemed to shift his posturing into a decidedly more professional stance. 

"Nice to meet you. My name is Adrien. How are you?" It was stiff and unnaturally formal. Too rehearsed. Well, if he didn’t want to talk, she wasn’t going to force her friendship on him.

"Fine, thank you. What would you two like today?" 

"Cinnamon rolls? I've been craving them all day." Maria's relaxed stance and speech seemed at odds with Adrien's properness. 

"You're in luck, dad just made a new batch so they're fresh!" Marinette rang the two of them up. Maria paid and waved as she left. Adrien, however, stopped at the door, inclining his head in a slight nod. 

"Thank you." He was a strange one alright. 

"Come again!"

And he did. Maria began coming by more and more often. She eventually explained Adrien had begun asking about the shop. Oddly enough, their schedule for coming by began to coincide with the times she was out of school. Always the times she was available to help in the store. 

For two months this continued, Adrien remaining proper and awkward in his visits. Marinette took this to be a sign he didn't like her. True, he seemed to smile and make eye contact more than was strictly necessary for just politeness, but she knew he was a model. He was probably just nice for appearance sake. Or at least, that's what she would have believed if it wasn't for Maria. 

"He's homeschooled, you know." Maria leaned over the counter conspiringly, glancing back occasionally at Adrien as he looked at the pastries. 

"I figured." 

"So he doesn't have any friends his own age. I think he's trying to be your friend. He tries to play it off around Aaron and me, but it's pretty obvious he's coming more for you than the sweets at this point."

Marinette didn't believe her at first. It had taken another week before Adrien worked up the courage to ask her to hang out. 

And so their friendship began. Marinette soon found out Maria hadn't been exaggerating. Adrien knew only one other person his age, an obnoxious girl from her class, and only saw _her_ during the few parties he attended with his father. Even among adults, he had few friends. His father (she had practically swooned the first time she’d met the world renown designer) rarely spent time with his son. His tutors had little personal relationships with him. It seemed to Marinette the only people he ever really talked to were Maria and Aaron- and even with them he seemed a bit stiff. The entire idea was a foreign concept to Marinette. She was friends with everyone in her class, always had been. 

Maybe it was because of this he seemed to gravitate to her. His attention to her was complete when she spoke, his eyes and ears eagerly lapping up the things she told him. 

Eventually, she got him to relax around her more. The formal speech stopped. Instead, she began to see more of the real Adrien Agreste. And the real Adrien Agreste was a complete and utter dork. He enthused over new animes and never tired of playing video games with her (despite the fact she always kicked his butt). He was still unsure and awkward at times, but Marinette began to find it endearing. 

It wasn't long before she realized she was hopelessly in love.

He made her want to be different. Stronger. She wanted to protect him, wanted to protect everyone. The more time Marinette spent with Adrien, the bolder she became, and when the new school year started and she met Alya, her confidence grew even more. Marinette had always known _who_ she was, but now she found the strength to act on her beliefs. It was incredible really, how much Adrien and Alya made her want to be her best possible self. 

Ironically enough, Adrien didn't seem to approve. At first he had thought her concern was amazing, but after an incident during which she'd sprinted after and tackled a purse-snatcher, he had become a ridiculous worrywart. Alya, on the other hand, approved whole heartedly. According to her, Marinette was making the world a better place, one injustice at a time. 

And the more she fell in love with Adrien, the more she wanted to make the world better. 

He was so lonely and, at times, he appeared much too small. Marinette grew to hate his father immensely. She seethed over would-be kidnappers. Scorned petty thieves. She wanted the world to be safe for him. She wanted him to wake up in the morning and know everything was going to be okay. She wanted to be as bold and confident as Alya seemed to believe she could be. 

Marinette had fallen past the point of saving, headfirst in her love for him. 

But then, he confessed to her. 

It was obviously something he'd considered doing for some time. He'd planned an entire afternoon for them, full of all her favorite things. It had been a sweet gesture and she relished how right it felt to be by his side. And with a few simple words, it all screeched to a halt. 

_"I love you!"_

And how many times had she imagined him saying those words? How many times had she daydreamed his confession? But this wasn't a daydream. And she knew better. 

_"I love you too. I'm glad we're friends."_

She emphasized 'friends'. What they had was platonic. Nothing more, no matter what she wanted. Maybe he'd let it go. 

_"No I... Romantically! I love you romantically."_

His hands shook terribly but he maintained his gaze. He was nervous. Of course he was. And it broke her heart to turn him down, but she knew she had no real choice. 

_"No, you don't."_

He'd looked stricken when she said that. Practically crying.

_"I do!"_

Almost instinctively, she took his hands in hers to comfort him, barely holding in her own tears. 

_"Adrien... You don't know anyone else. You just think you love me because I’m the person that's here. When you get more friends, you'll realize I'm not that special."_

He'd argued with her then. And somehow that eventually turned into him apologizing over and over again. 

Soon after, she introduced him to Alya and Nino. Why she hadn’t thought of it sooner, she couldn’t explain. Perhaps some part of her had wanted to keep him for herself. But she couldn’t do that. They both took to him instantly. With the two of them around, easing back into their friendship was easier. He didn't mention the confession again, she didn't ask. And so they carried on as if it had never happened. 

The promise of his confession still rang in her ears, but it became easier to swallow. It would be cruel to start a relationship with him knowing he was likely projecting the first feelings of friendship onto her. He didn't understand the difference. It wouldn't be fair to date him. Still, Adrien and her were inseparable. They supported each other no matter what. And, at the end of the day, she wouldn't have had it any other way. 

* * *

She was headed to pick up Adrien from the fashion house- he waited there for her sometimes. Just had to put a few things away in her room, then she'd be right over and could take him far away from his stupid father. At least Maria was there with him until then. 

Marinette was in such a hurry, she might have missed the box if her backpack hadn't knocked it to the ground. 

"What is _this_ doing here?" Picking it up from the floor, Marinette carefully opened the box- and promptly threw it back down. 

She had barely caught sight of a ring before a flash of light burst forth, dying down to reveal a tiny, floating catlike creature. 

"What is this thing?!" It was meant to be a rhetorical question. She had not expected it to be able to _talk_. 

"Plagg. Nice to meet you." She threw a tin at him, but it missed as he floated over to her sewing supplies with a simple, "This looks good!" and preceded to attempt to eat them. 

"No, don't touch that!" Marinette lunged forward, but again missed as the creature- er, _Plagg_ \- flew off again. 

"This is shiny, is this edible?" Her beads! The cat thing chomped down on one of them, making a face of disappointment. "Not at all." He was off again before she could catch him. "And this?"

Their little game of tag continued until Marinette finally contained it- him?- under a cup. With no trouble at all, Plagg phased through the glass. 

"Marinette, don't be rude." He clicked his tongue in a reprimanding manner.

With a screech, she flung herself backwards, but Plagg seemed to be done running around, instead floating calmly in front of her. 

"What are you and how do you know my name!"

"I'm a Kwami, I give powers. For you, it's the power of destruction. Got it?"

"I-uh-" Marinette ‘got’ nothing. This was impossible. There was absolutely _no way_ this was happening.

"Alright. Do you have something to eat, I'm starving!"

"Mom! Dad!" Marinette's hand inched towards the trapdoor that lead to the rest of the house. 

"You can't tell your parents I exist! You're the one who has to carry out Justice."

This was getting ridiculous. "But I'm just a student! What good is a fifteen year old like me for carrying out... Justice?"

"Not much. That's why I give you powers, an easier way to make your voice heard. If you want them, of course."

Marinette looked down at the ring in her palm, a sturdy silver. Ever so carefully, she slipped it on. 

"When you you say "Transform me!" I give you superpowers and a mask to hide behind. You can help more people than you ever could the way things are now.” 

"Transform me?" Marinette gasped as a the ring shined and Plagg was sucked forward, a strange tingling sensation rippled through her. "What's happening?!" 

A cool sensation spiked over her face as a mask fell into place. Her arm shot out as bubbles of light replaced her clothes with a black suit. Facing the mirror, Marinette observed herself. Cat ears perched on her head, a belt tail swung behind her. Tugging at the bell around her neck, she realized with a shock that she now had _claws_. 

"No way, how do I get out of this thing?! Plagg? If you can hear me, I want my clothes back. I'm not going anywhere like this!"

The news played on her computer, one of the things Plagg had accidentally turned on in his endless search for something edible earlier. 

_"Police are giving chase, but the robber shows no signs of letting up. Several civilians have already been hit by the vehicle's attempt to flee."_

"Marinette, are you home?" Sabine called out from downstairs, and while, normally, Marinette would have loved to chat with her mother, she didn't think she could really explain the whole catsuit thing. So instead, she ran up the stairs to her loft and scrambled out onto her balcony. Her mother’s voice called down below, muffled by distance. "She must have already left to pick up Adrien, dear!"

With a sigh of relief, Marinette tried to make sense of the situation. 

"Okay. I have superpowers and apparently a super baton." She spun the stick in her hand experimentally. "How does this-" the baton extended under her, vaulting her up and, with a bloodcurdling scream, she launched herself onto a street below. 

She'd barely had time to steady herself when the screech of tires interrupted her thoughts. The robber. Chased by helicopters and police cars, he was headed straight towards her. Marinette quickly jumped out of the way, practically _feeling_ the cars pass her. It took a few minutes for her to get her heart to calm down again. 

What had Plagg said again? Something about her being the bringer of Justice? _Yeah right._ Standing up to Chloe or the occasional mugger was one thing, this would be quite another. Marinette almost went home. She might have too, if a suspicious man with a rather conspicuous duffle bag hadn't caught her eye. 

_The robber. Just like the picture on the news. The car is just a diversion, that's the robber._

She didn't really think. Well, she did. She thought 'don't think about this too much or you'll freak out' and launched herself at the man, pinning him to the ground. 

"Hey!" The duffle bag slid away from the pair as the man tried to wrestle her away. To both of their surprise, Marinette managed to hold him down without breaking a sweat. Sure, she had always been strong- you don't challenge purse snatchers unless you have some skill to back it up- but she'd never been hold-down-an-adult-male-without-any-effort strong. Was this the suit? 

Whatever it was, she could dwell on it later. For now, her job was to take this guy to the police. 

But... How? Was she just supposed to waltz to the station and plop him into the officers' arms? After much deliberation and some hastily acquired rope, Marinette managed to tie the robber up- the duffle bag of stolen goods neatly set on his lap- and left him in a parking lot near the station. Then, she managed to figure out how to detransform and called in an anonymous tip about his location. 

Back at home, the news played like white noise as Marinette scrolled through Adrien's texts and voicemails, her heart dropping more and more with each one. 

She'd stood him up. They were supposed to meet after she got out of school and she'd _stood him up_. The thought made her sick to her stomach. Adrien got enough empty promises in his life; Marinette didn't want to be one of the people to add to that list. 

"Hey, where are you going?" Plagg looked up at her from his cheese bread. 

"I have to go tell Adrien why I didn't make it today."

"Whoa whoa whoa, you can't do that." Still carrying the cheese bread, he somehow managed to look stern.

"Why not? He won't tell anyone."

"He's not a miraculous user. You just can't."

Marinette felt a surge of irritation wash over her. "I don't even know what that means!"

"Your ring. It's called a miraculous. Anyways, you just can't tell him."

It was hard keeping secrets from Adrien. Instead of an explanation, she brought cinnamon rolls. He'd forgiven her before she even tried to make an excuse. 

Still, she didn't like leaving him alone. So, Marinette began using Plagg at night. It was more discrete than doing it in the afternoon anyways. She didn't publicity, she wanted to help. It was small things mostly, just like what she'd always tried to do, but now she found she had more success. Sometimes she hung out in the more dangerous parts of the city just to find someone now. It was nice to know she was doing more. Freeing, really. 

As hard as it was to keep her new activities from Adrien, it was even harder to keep them from Alya. Especially since her friend had somehow managed to get pictures (blurry ones but still) of Paris' new vigilante. 

But, other than Alya, no one seemed too concerned with her. News stations didn't say much. She didn't make headlines. And Marinette didn't need to. Plagg seemed to think it was silly of her to hide her good deeds, what was the point in helping people if you weren't getting anything out of it? But she knew he was just joking... Or at least, she was pretty sure he was. 

Her contributions were small and limited since she didn't want to catch too much attention, but she was happy with that. After all, bigger things were what the police were for, right? She didn't want to get in their way. The courts could take care of the big stuff. 

Well, she'd _thought_ they could. 

Marinette had always trusted the court system to deal out Justice, to protect people. But a month into having her new powers, that idea was challenged. 

Damien Martin. Long time criminal and alleged murderer of one Samantha Christie. The only witness was Miss Christie's elderly mother who had been so horrified by the gruesome slaughter of her daughter, that she'd had to be physically restrained, deemed a danger to herself and to others. 

The trial had been going on for quite some time with Mrs. Christie still in hysterics. Apparently, she was considered to be an "unreliable witness" given how unstable she was. 

Damien Martin had walked free. 

No sentencing. No punishment. Just a wicked grin to the cameras as he was escorted out of the courthouse. 

Marinette was _furious_. 

"If you're so upset by it, what're you gonna do about it kid?" Plagg looked up from his cheesy treat, sounding bored by her ranting. 

"I don't know! This is supposed to be the job of the government! To protect people! To stop people like _that_ from doing whatever they want!"

"You're Justice. What do you think they should have done?" Plagg watched her carefully now, no expression on his face. Marinette would have found his quietness odd if she hadn't been so wound up. 

"They should've- _He_ should just- I'd rather he was dead!"

"I thought you humans abolished the death penalty?"

"What he did to that girl... What he did to her family! It's just not fair."

"You could do it."

"What?" She was barely paying attention to what he was saying, Plagg rarely had anything serious to contribute to conversations.

"You could kill him." The tension in the room prickled, Marinette could practically taste it at Plagg's words. 

"What are you talking about?" She wasn't shouting anymore, her voice had dropped to barely above a whisper. 

"Cataclysm. You have the power of destruction, remember?"

"Is that why I have these powers? To kill people?"

"No. I'd rather you didn't actually, people tend to abuse it. But if that's your Justice for this man," Plagg shrugged, casually finishing off his meal. She'd never seen Plagg so serious before. "You've been thinking too small. These are the people you need to be serving Justice to. The ones society refuses to. So, what's your Justice for this guy?"

* * *

If Marinette was going to do this, she was going to do this right. Damien Martin would be tried for his crimes again. 

And this time, she would be the judge. 

* * *

__**Damien Martin.  
The courts may have ruled you innocent, but I am not convinced. You have five hours to prove your innocence to _me_ before I punish you. **

Signed,

Chat Noire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup yup. So next week will be the update of Miraculous Parents (my domestic fluff) and then the week after I'll be back with the real pain. Shout out to Serenity for letting me use her OC Maria for this painfest I have planned. Honestly, sometimes I forget Maria isn't a canon character. It's super problematic. Comments, Constructive Criticism, shouting about Maria and Gabriel's adorableness, and the fact you are reading this right now is highly appreciated! Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter: After being besties with Adrien for awhile (Maria, a coworker of his father's, introduced them) Marinette gets Plagg and starts helping and doing cool stuff around Paris to be a good person. One day, she sees the news talking about a murderer getting let off his trial and walking free. She's upset. She sends him a card tell him she'll be coming back for him to serve him up some Justice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I just want to warn you guys that even though this is completely outlined I've been stuck on the next chapter for two weeks now and if I don't get it done in time to publish week after next I'll probably just put up another chapter of my fluff fic instead. I'm sorry. I am trying.
> 
> This is the chapter when things get dark.

She didn't want to sleep. But she didn't want to be awake either, truthfully, she just wanted to stop _thinking_. 

Plagg was floating around somewhere, but after the second day of ignoring everyone, he left her alone. 

Her parents didn't know what to make of it. They thought maybe it was the fear of the new killer on the loose that kept her curled up in bed, shaking with nightmares. Tom had even come in and tried to reassure her they would protect her. 

They didn't get it. 

Marinette wasn't afraid that _she_ would be killed. 

She was haunted by the fact that she was the killer. 

Yes, Marinette Dupain-Cheng had murdered one Damien Martin. She could still see the evening in perfect clarity. Chat Noire had delivered her court summons; given him five hours. Plagg had recommended that. Recommended she give herself time to decide if she really wanted to go through with this. But she hadn't thought...

Damien Martin wasn't scared of her challenge. Still, the police got word of it and he was offered their protection. The news was having great fun with whole situation; especially since every hour she sent him another card. A countdown. 

When she had gone out again to punish him after his five hours were up she hadn't thought she would...

Chat Noire had entered the scene prepared to rough him up a little. Not too bad, just enough to scare him. Just enough that he wouldn't hurt anyone again. 

But Damien Martin had refused the police guard and waited for her himself. 

When she'd arrived, his house was 'decorated' for her. Pictures of Samantha Christie and her hysterical mother littered the walls. Newspapers covering the trial lay all around them. And in the middle of this room stood Mr. Martin, a knife in hand, ready for her. 

Her suit protected her from the knife, but her neck and face were exposed, so he aimed there. He admitted to killing the young Miss Christie, seeming to get great delight out of the way Chat's face screwed up in shock. They struggled, him trying to hurt her and her trying to rough him up without being too rough, when the police burst in. 

They were trying to protect him. Damien Martin had killed an innocent person and they were _protecting him_. 

She'd managed to throw them aside without hurting them and lunged for Damien again. Her old plan was out the window now. This man, this _murderer_ , deserved to die. 

Cataclysm hit him right before his knife reached her throat, and the room watched in horror as he disintegrated in front of their eyes. Flesh rotted and bones turned to dust and the man _screamed_ out louder than Marinette knew was possible. 

After that, she'd run home, shaking and crying. Plagg tried to talk to her, but she couldn't. Eventually he'd given up and she'd fallen asleep. Nightmares replayed the death over and over again in Marinette's head. Apparently, she'd been screaming in her sleep, and her parents came up to comfort her. 

The next day, she'd missed school. And the day after that. And the day after that. Friends called and texted her, but Marinette couldn't find it in her to respond. How was she supposed to face them?

After a week, her parents were running out of ideas on how to make her feel better. So, despite her request to not let anyone visit her, they let Adrien up. 

She had half a mind to push him back down the stairs and tell him to run as far from her as he could, but she didn't. She couldn't. He looked too worried, like he was afraid he'd done something to upset her. 

So, she'd moved herself to let him sit beside her in bed, careful not to touch him as he arranged the pastries her parents had sent him up with. 

"How are you feeling?" His voice wavered, hesitant. 

"Fine." Silence stretch on. She didn't know what to say. 

"Alya and Nino have been pretty worried about you. But don't worry! They've been taking notes while you're gone. And if you need help catching up on school again, I could study with you, if you want? My tutors are ahead of your curriculum anyways." 

"Thanks." It was hard to look at him. Adrien had always been a better person than her, but now the difference between them physically _hurt_. 

"Marinette, I-" he reached out to put his hand on her shoulder, but recoiled when she flinched away. He was so surprised by her reaction; he didn't think to mask the pain on his face. His voice dropped, a broken child through and through. "I'm sorry."

"Adrien, I didn't mean-"

"I'm sorry. I'll leave." He scrambled for the steps back down. 

"Adrien, wait." She reached out for him this time, both her hands on his arm. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault, I'm just..." Great. She was crying again. 

But, that seemed to get Adrien to stay so she supposed it was okay. 

She couldn't tell him, Plagg had already warned her not to tell people she was Chat. Even if she could, she wasn't sure she wanted to. Adrien seemed to accept that. He didn't bother prying, just let her calm down. 

When she finally did, pulling away carefully to face him, she found his face as tear-streaked as her own. With a tired laugh, Marinette dried up his tears. 

"Why are _you_ crying." 

He leaned into her hand, giving her a concerned smile. "I've been worried about you. Tom said you haven't been eating very much lately."

"I don't have much of an appetite." Marinette reached for one of the savory pastries, ripping it in half. "Split it with me?"

Adrien nodded, accepting the pastries without a word. After the first pastry, he asked to split another, and another. Marinette hadn't been lying when she'd said she wasn't hungry, but she also knew the best way to get Adrien to eat was to split snacks. 

Perfect model sons didn't get to eat nearly enough. 

Eventually the tray was empty and the two of them were curled up sleepily on separate ends of the bed. 

"Alya wanted to know if you were up for hanging out tomorrow. Nino can't make it, but the three of us could go out for lunch if you're up for it."

"I'm surprised she didn't come ask herself."

"Her and Nino said I had more of a 'delicate touch' when it came to these matters." 

Marinette giggled at that. It was true, Alya's method of talking would have probably been spending hours grilling Marinette until she gave in or giving her space. There was no in between.

"So?" He sat up, anxiously searching her face for the answer. 

"I'll come. It'd probably be better if I got out of the house."

"I'll let her know." Adrien relaxed with her agreement, patting Marinette's shoulder as he crawled towards the stairs. 

"Wait!" She scrambled up to sit on her knees, facing him fully. Adrien stopped, confused. "Can you stay for a little longer?"

"It's getting late. I thought you'd want to sleep."

"I do, but... Never mind, your dad probably wouldn't let you stay anyways. Good night. Thanks for coming over."

"Marinette, please talk to me."

"Strict dad. You should go head home."

"I already told Nathalie I'd be over late. I can text her if you need me to stay the night."

"...Could you? I mean you don't have to if you don't want to, but I've been having nightmares lately and when I wake up I'm kind of confused for a second before I realize it was a dream and it would probably help if someone was there to calm me down, but then you probably wouldn't sleep very well and I don't want to bother you, but-"

Adrien cut off her babbling by flicking out his phone. A few taps of the screen later, he put the phone back in his pocket. 

"Done. I'll go tell Tom and Sabine."

While frowned upon at Adrien's house, Marinette's parents didn't mind the occasional sleepover. As long as the kids didn't mind sleeping on the floor or the random pop-ins, Tom and Sabine were perfectly happy to let him stay over. And in this case, they were relieved to find their daughter opening up again. The couple rushed to give Adrien spare pajamas and sleeping bags, eager to help in any way possible. 

After a fitful night, Adrien was grateful Marinette managed to sleep in. It felt a bit odd to be awake in her room when she was still asleep, but after seeing how bad she was last night, he was in no hurry to interrupt her. 

But it seemed like her dreams didn't agree with him. 

Marinette twitched on the chaise, face screwing up in discomfort. After getting woken by her sobbing apologizes at midnight, he hadn't been able to fall back asleep. Overly paranoid, he'd quickly figured out the signs for when she was waking up. The question remained, how should he deal with it? The second time he'd let the nightmare run its course-too panicked to act-, comforting her when she woke up until he managed to coaxed her back to sleep. But he didn't like seeing her in pain. So the third time, he woke her up when she started twitching more violently. 

His nose was still a little sore from her resulting punch. 

"Marinette." This time, he would try waking her up without crowding her. "Marinette, it's just a dream."

It wasn't working.

"It's Adrien. Wake up."

If anything he was making it worse. Steeling himself for another punch, Adrien moved forward cautiously. 

"Marinette, please wake up." Shaking her gently, Adrien flinched back when she moved. Guilt filled him instantly when he realized she'd curled herself into a ball, defensive and scared. 

"It's okay, Marinette. No one is going to hurt you." Carefully, Adrien rested a hand on her back, drawing soothing circles as he talked. She didn't seem to be getting better, but she wasn't flailing like she had the first few times. Instead, she seemed to be making herself as small as possible, her incoherent whimpers getting more hysterical by the second. 

He was useless. Here she was suffering right in front of him and Adrien was completely and utterly helpless.

Just like always. 

* * *

It was a relief to find Adrien, alive and safe, when she woke up. Anxious for answers, he was kind enough not to ask the questions she could see written on his face. 

He didn't look like he'd slept at all. Still, his concern didn't waver. 

"I can tell Alya you aren't up for it yet if you want to stay home." Light fingers trailed through her hair as he spoke, a soothing touch as he gently combed away the knots. 

"No, it's fine." Twisting the ring on her finger, Marinette took a deep breath. " _I'm_ fine."

He didn't believe her. Hell, she didn't even believe herself. But as much as she wanted to, hiding wasn't an option. Her parents were worried. She'd already missed too much school. She'd have to deal with Plagg eventually. The ring seemed too heavy for its size. But she didn't have time to think about that. 

_Step one, talk to your friends like a normal person._

Step one ended up being easier than she'd expected. 

Alya and Nino didn't ask any questions, didn't call any attention to her odd behavior (though she suspected Adrien had something to do with that). Instead, they talked casually about Nino's latest DJing gigs and magazines Adrien had appeared in recently. Eventually, talk turned to Alya's new blog. 

"For that new vigilante girl, right?"

Marinette stiffened. _They couldn't be talking about..._

"Chat Noire! Although some people have been calling her The Executioner." Alya was too busy showing Nino the blog to notice the way Marinette had frozen, her breathing shallowed. 

Adrien, sitting next to her as he was, didn't miss it though. Resting a hand on her knee, he desperately tried to catch Marinette's eyes. 

She wouldn't. She _couldn't_ look up. She had to get out. _Can't run._ Alya was still talking. _Can't run._ There were too many people. _Can't run._ Adrien's hand still rested on her knee, a steady weight. Warm and living. _Breathe._

_Step one, talk to your friends like a normal person._

"Marinette? You okay, girl?" Alya leaned across the table. 

Marinette nodded. _Too many eyes. Too many people._ Carefully controlling her breathing, she did her best to appear normal. 

A conversation of glances and grimaces passed between the other three. Expressions said as well as words could that they were hopelessly lost on what to do. Distraction, Alya decided, would be best. 

"I got a video from the Christie family- the family of that girl Martin murdered? Anyways, they did say it outright, but you can tell they're kind of glad he's not walking out on the streets. The whole thing has been pretty controversial, but a lot of people think Chat was some kind of avenging angel working outside the law."

Marinette reached for the phone without a word. Pressing play, Alya slid the device over. 

The quality was decent considering it had clearly been taken on Alya's phone. They didn't thank Chat. Not outright. But their body language spoke of a released tension. The more Alya explained about the small stuff Chat Noire had been seen doing before what Alya called "The Execution", the more the faces seemed to relax. They were polite, simple people. People who had had a family member brutally ripped away from them and then watched the man who did it walk free. 

"What about his family?" Marinette's voice sounded odd, hoarse and distant. 

"Who's?"

"Damien Martin."

"Only had one brother. He apparently left the country the day after The Execution. There were some past charges against him too. But according to Sabrina's dad crime has really died down since. It's like everyone is too scared to do go against the law." Seeing Marinette easing up at her words, Alya continued. "A lot of people are condemning her, but there's a large following on the blog now that supports her. Some are even making signs and stuff. It's insane. And the news is having a field day."

Alya kept talking; statistics, moral and ethical concern, police involvement. There were no shortage of people condemning Chat Noire as a murderer, but her support was nothing to scoff at either. Paris split in their opinion, gossip buzzed with her name. 

It was terrifying. 

And yet...

She wasn't alone. There were people who agreed with her. People who wanted her to do _more_. Honestly, Marinette didn't think she could stomach killing another person. The weight of one life at fifteen was already eating her alive. But that didn't mean she had to give up. 

Her friends dropped her off at home, waving enthusiastically with promises to see each other at school-or after school in Adrien's case. Not wanting to face her parents just yet, Marinette snuck up the stairs and into her room, a gift of fresh cheese in her hand. 

Plagg laid on her desk, occupied with the string she kept telling him not to get into. Placing herself in front of him, Marinette waited. Eventually, the Kwami looked over at her, bored. 

She didn't know how to apologize for ignoring him. How to explain herself. Luckily, Plagg was easy to please. Seeing the cheese in her hand, he zipped over. 

"You've been depriving me!" With the whining complaint, he practically choking himself in an effort to stuff his face. 

"Sorry." 

"You didn't take off the ring." He didn't look at her, still seemingly absorbed in his cheese. 

"I... No."

"Others did. When it got to be too much." Serious tones didn't suit Plagg. It made her nervous. 

"Even if I took off the ring, it wouldn't change what I did."

Plagg nodded, slight pride in the twist of his mouth before he finished off his treat. 

"What now?"

"Up to you."

"That's it? No repercussions?" While she wasn't eager to turn herself into the police, it seemed strange to get off without punishment. 

"You're supposed to be Justice. Isn't that what those nightmares your having are?" The glint in his eye was dangerous, knowing. In that moment, Plagg seemed every bit the ancient creature he was. 

"I need rules."

"Justice does abide by its own laws." He closed his eyes, drifting lazily in front of her. 

"If I'm going to do this, I have to do it right. I can't just kill people because I feel like it. I need to come up with a system."

"Ahh I'm still hungry! You've been ignoring me for _days_. Don't you think I deserve _more_?"

"Plagg."

"Justice is Camembert! Not this cheap stuff!"

Sighing, Marinette fished the gift out of her purse. She _had_ been saving it for later. But it didn't seem likely he'd stop complaining any time soon. With a mewl of delight, Plagg lunged for it. 

Sending her Kwami a small smile, Marinette fished out her old (and long unused) diary. 

There had to be rules. Even if no one else was enforcing them on her. She couldn't take advantage of this. 

Marinette wasn't fixed. She would still have to face her nightmares. There would still be problems. But she had a plan- she had a _purpose_ \- and she wasn't about to throw that away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Constructive Criticism, the fact that you are reading this- all of these things are very cool, thank you.

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who aren't aware, Maria is from Serenity_Prime's fic "An Awkward Situation" http://archiveofourown.org/works/5656519 (and yes the beginning part is ripped off from her)
> 
> Comments, Constructive Criticism, and the fact you are reading this mean the world! Thank you.


End file.
